Zaadi stepped beside where Qylar knelt and peeked around to check out the ring. She smiled at Qylar and gave him a thumbs up.
“Zaadi,” Alex whispered hotly. “Get over here.”
After Zaadi scampered over to her fathers, Qylar leaned closer.
“You just asked me last night how one became husbands, and I feared you were about to ruin my plans—please don’t leave me hanging.”
“How would I ruin them?”
“If I said too much or got weird, you might’ve figured it out.”
“I didn’t.”
Qylar smiled. “I know. But if you don’t give me some kind of answer soon, things might start getting weird.”
“I got you a t-shirt,” Kenji whispered again, so ashamed.
“I know,” Qylar said. “I love it. I’m going to wear it every single day.”
“I bet all those one-nighters will get a kick seeing him inthat,”Alex whispered to Cryss.
“No chatter from the peanut gallery,” Qylar said without taking his eyes off Kenji. “Well? Will you wear my ring?”
Kenji nodded, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Qylar’s neck. “Yes.”
Qylar sighed with relief and dragged him close. They kissed deeply. Qylar slid the ring on Kenji’s finger before another few kisses.
“Now,I’m checking the brunch casserole,”Cryss whispered, rolling the little bassinet with Xan inside with him. “Congratulations, guys.”
“Congratulations,” Alex said, picking up Ael and coming for a better look at the ring. “It’s gorgeous.” He turned to Zaadi. “Ready for Christmas breakfast.”
“Yeah,” Zaadi said, bouncing into the kitchen alongside Alex and Ael.
Once they were alone, Kenji looked up at Qylar and spread his palms over the silly t-shirt.
“Kenji, I never thought I was going to be a father,” Qylar said, his voice low. “You came into my life and made it possible. It’s not just a t-shirt. It’s the family we’re about to become.Thatis a gift that no gold or diamonds could ever surpass.” He pressed a kiss to Kenji’s lips. “It’s not silly, and it’s not stupid.” He glanced down at his shirt before giving him a wink. “And it sparkles more than the ring.”
Kenji chuckled, wrapping his arms around Qylar’s midsection. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Qylar whispered.
“Merry Christmas,” Kenji added.
“Merry Christmas.”
EPILOGUE
The following Christmas Eve…
Kenji stood at the edge of the event hall, searching the three-hundred faces that would soon be getting served a warm, healthy holiday meal they might not have had that afternoon. Qylar and Cryss stood sentinel on either side of him. They watched the massive group of volunteers, a mixture of Nefyrians and humans, delivering water and tea to each place setting. Next would come the roast turkey dinner, with all the sides along with pie.
It was killing Kenji not to jump in and help. He was a hands-on kind of person, but Cryss and Qylar were trying to teach him to be a big picture guy. This was just one stage of what he wanted to do to help the city, and he couldn’t work every single event.
For their first attempt, they’d partnered with a local service organization that had been doing amazing things to ensure their community had enough to eat. The foundation Qylar, Cryss, and Kenji had created had challenged that organization to take theirsmaller events and scale them up. Instead of feeding fifty people, let’s feed hundreds. They weren’t just the bankroll behind it, either.
They knew the organization would need support to make it happen. They’d found the where—a space that had once been an 8,000 square foot art gallery—and renovated it to add a commercial kitchen and communal tables to feed as many people as possible. The dining area could feed from two hundred fifty to five hundred, depending on the set-up.
With the newly formed Nefyrian-Earth Volunteer Corp, they were also providing dozens upon dozens of volunteers to help ensure there was enough help. Most were older teens and younger twenty-somethings who were curious about Earth culture and wanted to spend more time on the planet. Apparently, things like K-Pop, Lady Gaga, and Taylor Swift were no longer just sensations on Earth. Nefyrian young people were becoming obsessed with all things Earth and willing to put in their volunteer hours they could accumulate and later use to access trips to concerts, events, tours, and shows.
